How different could it have been
by Linnafan
Summary: How different could it have been? If Tifa fell in love with Aeris and not Cloud. How different would the story have been? Join me for a story of Happiness, Pain and heartbreak.
1. Tifa's first girlfriend

** Sector 7 slums **

Tifa stood behind the counter of her small bar in the Sector 7 slums of the great Midgar city that was run by the Shinra Corporation. She was waiting for her friends Barrett, Jessie, Biggs, Wedge and most of all Cloud to come back from a mission to destroy a Mako Reactor. She hated to stay behind on these missions but Berret wouldn't let her go no matter how much she bitched about it.

"_You're too young to go out on a mission." _He'd say.

"_Young or not I can still fight with the best of them." _Tifa would argue.

"_Yes but I'm not gonna put you in danger just because you want to fight_." Berret would say and that would be the end of the conversation.

So she stood leaning on the bar counter as some of the male patrons whistled at her and offered to cheer her up. She just sighed and ignored them. There was only one person that Tifa knew personally and considered a friend. She was just old enough to drink in the bar and always sat at the counter keeping Tifa company at night. The girl had lost most of her family in an earth quake a few years ago and she for the most part kept to herself except when she was around Tifa. In the 6 months that Tifa had known her they became good friends and even better friends when no one was looking. Tifa was surprised to learn that she had fallen for this young black hair, Green eyed girl. But, She was happy that she was. But there was a problem. Her childhood friend Cloud had come back into the picture a few days back and she was still in love with him.

The door to the bar opened and Tifa looked up with a smile hoping to see Cloud standing in the doorway but it was only another drunk. With an upset look on her face she settled back down on the bar and sighed again.

"What's wrong?" The young girl asked in a soft, barely audible voice.

"Well I'm waiting for Cloud and the others to come back." Tifa said. "They've been gone for a long time."

"It takes a long time to go from Sector 7 to the market up top." The girl said.

"Yea I know." Tifa said. "You want another drink Kerrie?"

"Yea sure." Kerrie said.

"Be right back." Tifa said and went to the alcohol wall.

She started mixing a small lightly alcoholic drink when the door to the bar opened again and she heard Barrett's gruff voice.

"Alright assholes the bars closed get the hell out." He yelled.

Kerrie jumped when he started yelling and spun around to look at the large man with a gun for an arm. Most of the people in the bar evacuated right away but a few of the drunker and braver people stayed to finish their drinks.

"I said get the fuck out!" Barrett yelled letting a few bullets fly from his weapon.

Kerrie jumped to her feet along with the rest of the people in the bar. Tifa sighed yet again and poured the drink that she was bringing Kerrie down the sink.

"Bye Tifa." Kerrie said in her soft voice and headed for the door.

Tifa took a deep breath as she watched Kerrie walk out of the bar and started cleaning up after the mobs. As soon as Kerrie was out of the bar Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie ran in with Cloud Walking in behind them. Everyone but Cloud jumped onto the pinball machine and activated the mechanism that brought them down into the cellar. Cloud looked around the small bar and saw Tifa standing behind the bar whipping it down and walked up to the stool where Kerrie was sitting and sat down.

"Welcome back." Tifa said. "How'd it go?"

"No problem." Cloud said.

"That easy was it?" Tifa asked.

Cloud just shrugged and reached into the belt and pulled out a small flower and handed it to Tifa.

"Oh wow." She said looking down at it. "I never see flowers down here in the slums, thanks."

"I bought it from a flower girl just after we blew the reactor." Cloud said.

"Oh cute kid." Tifa said.

"No she was about your age." Cloud said.

"Oh really?" Tifa asked. "Was she cute?"

"Kind of yea." Cloud said.

"Well what did she look like?" Tifa asked.

Cloud looked at Tifa with a questioning look that made her feel guilty for pressing him.

"Well she had long brown hair that was in a braided tail and…"

"Hey get your ass down here so we can plan the next attack." Barrett snarled seeing Tifa holding the flower.

Cloud slid off of the stool and headed down into the cellar leaving Tifa alone to clean up the bar. Once she was finished putting up the chairs and mopping she headed down with the others. Jessie was sitting at the computer getting information on the next reactor they were gonna blow. Biggs and Wedge were watching TV, Cloud and Barrett were arguing over the flower that Cloud had given to Tifa.

"So what's the deal?" Tifa asked tapping Jessie on the shoulder.

"Our next target in the Reactor near the Shinra HQ." Jessie said pointing to a map on the wall. "It's gonna be a dangerous mission but we can do it with Clouds help.

"I see." Tifa said.

She walked over to where Cloud and Barrett were arguing and stepped between them.

"So this mission tomorrow is gonna be a rough one I hear." She said Interrupting Barrett right in the middle of a loud FUCK YOU!!

"Yea it is." Cloud said.

"Good." Tifa said. "I'm coming with you. And Barrett you're not getting me to stay behind this time."

Barrett opened his mouth to say something but a small voice from behind him stopped the words that were forming in his mouth.

"Hi Papa." A young child said.

"Hi Marline." Barrett said scooping the child up in his arms. "We'll talk about this later."

Tifa smiled with a smug "I win" Look on her face and headed back to the Pinball machine.

"I'm heading out for a few hours." She said. "I'll be back by morning."

"That's a few hours?" Cloud asked.

"Yep." Tifa said and headed up into the bar.

She walked to her room that was atop of her bar and opened her closet and grabbed a black leather jacket and threw it over her shoulders covering her white tank top. She walked to a mirror by the door and gave her hair a toss before dabbing some perfume on her neck and heading back own stairs and out into the streets. A slight breeze was flowing through the slums from the large fans that brought somewhat fresher air to the slums. Her hair was gently blowing with it as she walked through the slums to a small apartment like complex. She passed by the drunks that were sleeping in the halls and up to room 72. The seven had long since fallen off leaving only a shadowed seven on the door. The peep hole was plugged with a piece of tissue and the door looked like it was handing of the hinges with bubblegum. Tifa shook off the cold and pulled the leather jacked closer around her neck and reached out and knocked on the door. Very faintly she heard someone say, _"Be right there." _Tifa saw light suddenly flash through the peep hole as the tissue was removed then replaced. There was the sound of the thick bolt lock clicking open then the door opened wide and Kerrie stood in the doorway.

"What's up?" She said letting Tifa slip by her.

"Not much." Tifa said. "Just wanted to come hang out with my best friend that's all."

"Oh I see." Kerrie said closing the door and snapping the bolt lock shut.

Tifa walked right into the kitchen and to the meager alcohol cabinet and grabbed the materials she needed to make the drink she was making for Kerrie when Barrett barged in. Kerrie walked up behind her and kissed her gently on the neck and put her arms around Tifa's waist. Tifa set the bottles down and turned around in Kerrie's arms and looked her in the eyes.

"You have no idea how hard it is to sit in your bar for hours talking with you and not being able to even kiss you." Kerrie said softly.

"Try standing behind the bar all night seeing guys and girls looking at you and not being able to tell them that you're my girl." Tifa said kissing Kerrie softly on the lips. "I hate sneaking around but most of my business for the bar is in guys and girls that think they have a shot at me."

"Plus that Barrett guy would probably kill us both." Kerrie said.

"He might." Tifa said. "Marline looks at me like a mother. And being gay would make me look like a monster to her."

Kerrie took a deep breath and leaned her head on Tifa's shoulder and slowly let it out. Tifa smiled and kissed her on the back of the neck and rubbed her back.

"I'm just glad that we only have to sneak around during the day but at night we can be together." Kerrie said.

"Yep." Tifa said. "But I think the group is starting to figure out that I have someone."

"Why?" Kerrie asked.

"Well I'm going out almost every night and not coming back until morning." Tifa said. "And the Nights that I stay in my door is locked and I don't go anywhere."

"That's because you're with me." Kerrie said lifting her head off of Tifa's shoulder and looking into her eyes. "Do you think they know you're with another woman?"

"I don't know." Tifa said. "I don't think so."

Kerrie pulled Tifa in close and looked her in the eyes and kissed her ever so softly on the lips before smiling.

"Let's go to my room." She said in her most seductive voice but even that came out as a low whisper.

"I owe you a drink." Tifa said nodding over her shoulder at the liquor bottles.

"Later." Kerrie said. "I just want to have you in my arms for now."

Tifa smiled and slipped out of Kerrie's arms and walked right behind her into the bed room and closed the door. Kerrie turned around to say something but Tifa stopped her before she could say anything by pressing her lips to Kerrie's and pushing her onto the small bed. Kerrie forgot what she was gonna say and let herself get carried away by Tifa's loving touches.


	2. Attack on the reactor

** Morning **

Tifa sat up in the small bed letting the blankets fall off of her chest onto her lap. Kerrie was still sleeping at her side with the most peaceful and loving expression on her face that Tifa had ever seen. She knew that she was late for getting back and that the others would be waking up soon. She slid out of the bed and got dressed.

"Kerrie, Kerrie wake up." She said kissing her softly on the lips.

"Hummm?" Kerrie moaned and opened her eyes. "Are you leaving?"

"Yea I am." Tifa said and kissed her again. "I'm gonna head up top today after work so I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok." Kerrie said softly.

Tifa leaned down and kissed her one more time before standing up.

"I love you." She said as she headed for the door.

"Me too." Kerrie said as she fell back asleep.

Tifa snickered and headed into the living room and grabbed her jacked and just put it over her shoulders and walked out of the door making sure she locked the bolt with the key that Kerrie gave her before heading into the streets. It was early morning and the streets were almost deserted except for the few homeless people that slept where ever the alcohol told them too. Tifa continued down the street until she came to the 7th Heaven bar. She pulled her key out of her jacket and opened the door to find cloud and Barrett sitting at the bar.

"About damn time." Barrett said.

"What?" Tifa asked. "I made it back by morning."

"We thought you were kidding." Cloud said.

"Nope." Tifa said and walked over to the door leading to her room.

"Where do you thing you're going?" Barrett asked.

Tifa stopped and looked back at him and groaned as she walked over to the bar and put on a pot of coffee.

"So you want to go out on this mission with us?" Barrett asked.

"Yea I do." Tifa said.

"This is gonna be a rough mission." Cloud said. "We're going up against Shinra and might run into some Soldiers on this one."

"I don't care." Tifa said. "I want to go. I can fight just as hard as the rest of you."

"We know you can." Barrett said. "But the fact remains that if something happens to all of us who's gonna look after Marline for me?"

"Is that why you won't let me go?" Tifa asked. "You need a baby sitter?"

"Don't get me wrong." Barrett said. "I don't want anything to happen to you either."

"I'm going and that's final." Tifa said and headed up to her room.

"She's still the same old Tifa." Cloud said and headed out into the streets to look for a fight.

"Damn kids." Barrett said to himself.

** Evening **

Biggs, Wedge and Jessie went ahead of the others and waited at the train station. Cloud and Barrett were standing at the door to the bar waiting impatiently for Tifa to get ready. Barrett was leaning against the door loading round after round into his gun arm then unloading them again. Cloud was holding his sword by the bottom of the hilt and spinning it around and around. Up in her room Tifa was rummaging through her foot locker for her fighting gloves.

'Where are they?' She thought as she got to the bottom of the locker.

"Tifa come on!" Barrett yelled. "The planet is gonna die before your ready."

"I'll be down in a minute." Tifa yelled back. 'Ok think where was the last place you had the gloves?' She thought putting her hands on her hips. 'Ok I remember putting them on to through out some drunks that were messing with Kerrie. I tossed their asses out but then what?"

She ran through the night in her mind then it hit her.

'I went over to Kerrie's house and set them on the night stand.' She thought. 'They must still be there.'

She grunted and headed down the stairs to where Cloud and Barrett were waiting.

"Well look who decided to show." Barrett said.

"I was trying to find my gloves." Tifa said.

"Did you find them?" Cloud asked.

"No their over at a friends house. Its on the way to the station I'll grab them and meet you there."

"Just hurry up." Barrett said and walked away mumbling something about _"girls on a "mission." _

Cloud followed behind and Tifa closed up the bar and ran past them and to Kerrie's apartment. She rapped on the door a few times and the door opened and Kerrie was smiling when she saw Tifa.

"Back already?" She asked.

"No actually I'm just leaving." Tifa said.

"Oh how sweet you came to say bye." Kerrie said in her soft voice.

"That and I need my gloves." Tifa said slipping past her and giving her a quick kiss.

Tifa walked into the bedroom and up to the nightstand and grabbed the black leather gloves that were on the top of the stand and wondered why she didn't see them last night. Kerrie leaned against the doorway and blocked Tifa's path as she tried to get out and get to the train station.

"Babe I need to go." Tifa said.

"I'm not letting you go until I get a real kiss." Kerrie said.

Tifa snickered and licked her lips before pressing them to Kerrie's and a fully passionate kiss. She wanted to hold the kiss for much longer but she knew that she needed to hurry and had to break it.

"I got to go." She said and ducked under Kerrie's arm and ran out of the small apartment and down the stairs and into the street.

She had to run full speed to make it to the station on time and meet up with the others. The train was just boarding when she ran up to the group breathing hard and sweating.

"I thought it was on the way to the station." Cloud said.

"I got held up, sorry." Tifa said as they boarded the train.

** Mako Reactor **

After the group had escaped from the train after being caught by a security check they wondered through the ventilation system until they came to the reactor itself. Tifa, Cloud and Barrett ran through the maze of metal pipes and catwalk until they found the central core of the reactor. Cloud removed a small but powerful bomb from his back and rigged it with a ten minute timer then they all ran like hell. They could see the rest of the group in the distance running for the exit but suddenly a large man blocked their path. He was wearing an expensive looking suit and was holding something in his hand.

"Whoa." Barrett said with a smile. "Someone likes me up there. It's the Shinra President."

"You are quite correct sir." The President said. "I am here in person to witness your deaths."

"That would be a cold day in hell." Barrett said raising his gun arm.

The President pressed a button on a controller in his hand and a large machine crawled up the side of the reactor and jumped between the group and the President.

"Oh shit." Tifa yelled as she was thrown off balance when the ground shook from the wait of the monster.

Cloud reached out and put his arm around her waist and kept her on her feet until she was steady. They all got ready for what could be a tough fight but the controller that the President used must have done something to the bomb that Cloud had placed and it detonated prematurely. The ground shook and gave way as a wall of fire broke through sending the monster flying in several pieces through the air. The Shinra President grabbed hold of a rope ladder that was lowered to him from a waiting chopper.

"I'll see you all in hell." He said as the chopper pulled him in and flew away from the exploding chopper.

The ground shook violently in the explosion sending Tifa falling backwards onto the metal grate floor, Barrett grabbing hold of the railing and Cloud stumbling and falling into the hole the explosion created.

"Cloud!!" Tifa yelled lunging for his hand.

Just before he disappeared under the floor Tifa grasped hold of his hand. Barrett dove onto his stomach and grabbed Tifa's feet to keep her from being pulled in along with Cloud.

"Hold on Cloud." Tifa yelled as she reached out her other hand.

She swiped with her hand but only grabbed air. The hand that cloud had was suddenly free as her glove came loose sending Cloud into the darkness below.

"CLOOOOUD!!!" Tifa screamed as she watched him fall.

Barrett grabbed her shoulders and pulled her away from the hole and they both ran for the nearest exit. Barrett just about had to carry Tifa out of the reactor kicking and screaming the whole way. They boarded the train bound for the Sector 7 slums and Tifa sat down on a bench and curled into a ball.

"Do you think he's alive?" Jessie asked Barrett in the corner of the train.

"Hell if I know." Barrett said. "That spiky haired punk is a tough bastard so I'll say he alive."


	3. A Flowergirl's bodyguard

** Church in slums **

Cloud opened his eyes and blinked the a few times to clear the haze. He sat up amazed to be alive and looked down at the ground. He was in what looked like a flower bed. But in the slums? Slowly he got to his feet and looked around he saw the front door and was just about to head for it but a wound woman's voice from behind him made him turn around.

"Oh you're awake." The voice said.

Cloud turned around with his hand on his sword ready to fight but relaxed when he saw the flower girl that sold him the flower. She was dressed in a long pink dress with her hair in a braded tail and a pink bow.

"My flower bed broke your fall." She said looking down at the smashed flowers.

"Oh sorry." Cloud said jumping off of the flowers.

"Don't worry." The flower girl said. "Their quite resilient."

She walked over to the flowers and brushed her hand against some of the undamaged ones.

"Flowers don't usually grow in the Slums but this place is different." She said. "Something about the ground."

"Who are you?" Cloud asked.

"Oh I'm sorry." She said. "My name is Aeris Gainsborough."

"You're gonna have to write that one down for me." Cloud joked as he rubbed the back of his head. "My name's Cloud."

Aeris giggled and looked up at the door and her smile quickly faded.

"Oh no their back." She said taking a step back.

"Who?" Cloud asked.

"The Turks." Aeris said. "Let's get out of here.

Cloud had heard about the Shinra group that did all the dirty work and knew that he should take Aeris's advice and make a run for it. Seeing as there were several armed men at the front door he followed Aeris into the back of the church. It was just a store room but the decayed support beams for the roof had fallen and left an escape rout for them both.

"Come on lets go." Aeris called down at him as she headed to the roof.

'Athletic.' Cloud thought as he watched her climb up.

He couldn't help but notice her legs going underneath the dress and almost let out a whistle but thought of how badly Tifa would pound him into the ground if she found out. With that image in his mind he completely missed the view that Aeris gave him as she swung her leg over a rafter and pulled herself up. Soon the room was filled with the sound of gunfire and Aeris and Cloud took cover behind a thick wooden beam.

"Stop firing you dumb shit." A man in a suit yelled pulling a hand gun and shooting the man in the head. "We need here alive."

The others got the point and lowered their weapons. Cloud and Aeris used that moment to make a break for a hole that was in the roof.

"Shit go after them." The man yelled pushing the soldiers forward.

Cloud and Aeris bolted out of the churches roof and ran across the rooftops of other buildings until they were sure they had lost the soldiers until they stopped.

"Why are they back?" Aeris said to no one specific. "They've left me alone for over a year now."

"What's going on?" Cloud asked.

"They were the Turks." Aeris said. "They have been after me all of my life but have never caught me. But for the past year they have left me alone."

"Well I'd say their back." Cloud said looking over Aeris's shoulder to see if any of them were coming. "Looks like we lost them."

"Yea but not for long." Aeris said. "Listen I have a question."

"What is it?" Cloud asked.

"Have you ever done any bodyguard work?" She asked.

"Not much." Cloud said.

"Well I need a bodyguard." Aeris said. "Can you do it? I don't have much money but…How about a date?"

Cloud looked at Aeris with wonder in his eyes then looked her up and down and smiled.

"You got a bodyguard." He said.

"Great." Aeris said jumping a little. "All we need to do is get to my house and we'll be safe they won't try anything with lots of people around."

"Ok let's get going before they catch up." Cloud said seeing the soldiers in the distance looking for them.

Aeris led the way through the slums and right up to her front door step. She stopped and turned to cloud.

"Thanks for the help." She said with a smile.

"Don't worry about it." Cloud said. "It was on my way back to Sector 7."

"Sector 7 is still a long way." Aeris said. "Why don't you spend the night tonight then you can go back in the morning full strength."

"No that's ok." Cloud said. "My friends are probably looking for me."

"I insist." Aeris said grabbing Cloud by the wrist and dragging him through the door.

Before Cloud knew it he was standing in the living room of Aeris's house that she shared with her mother.

"Mom I'm home." Aeris called out as she walked through the living room.

There was the sound of running feet from the floor above and Aeris's mom came running down the stairs and hugged her tightly.

"I'm so glad your home." She said. "Those bastards from Shinra were here looking for you."

"I know." Aeris said. "They found me at the church."

"Are you ok?" Her mother asked.

"I'm fine." Aeris said. "Cloud here dropped in and saved me."

Aeris's mother looked over at cloud and smiled.

"Thank you for helping her." She said. 'Those eyes.'

She turned to Aeris and hugged her again.

"Can you go make up the guest room?" She asked Aeris.

"Yea sure." Aeris said and bounced up the stairs.

"You're Soldier aren't you?" She asked.

"Ex-Soldier." Cloud said. "I left the service a few years ago."

"Listen I think you should leave." Aeris's mother said. "It's not personal mind you, it's just that Aeris is a special girl."

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked.

"I'm not her mother." She said. "My husband went off to fight in a war, he was gone for a long time. Well one day I received a letter from him saying he was coming home. I went to the Train station to meet him but he wasn't there. I waited all day but he never arrived. I went back everyday but he was never there. Then one day when I got there there was a lady lying on the ground bleeding from what looked like a bullet wound. She had a little girl with her."

"Aeris." Cloud said understanding.

"That's right." She said. "Well before she died her real mother told me that she was the last of the Ancients. I didn't know what she meant but she asked me to look after her and keep her safe from Shinra. She died a few minutes later and the little girl was all alone but she didn't cry. And me being alone as well at least until my husband got home. I took her in."

She sighed and looked at a picture on the fireplace mantel.

"Well Aeris came down stairs soon after I took her in she looked at me with a serious face and said for me not to be sad. I asked her what she meant and she told me that she just spoke with my husband. She said that he said that he loved me but that he wouldn't be coming home. I didn't believe her of course, but soon after that I got another letter in the mail saying that my husband was killed in action. I never doubted her after that."

Cloud looked at her with a disbelieving look on his face and she knew that he didn't believe her at all.

"I know it's far fetched but it's true." She said. "Now I think you should go before Aeris come back down stairs."

Cloud nodded and headed for the door but just then he heard shoes running down the stairs.

"Cloud up here." Aeris called poking her head around the corner of the wall.

He looked at Aeris's mother and shrugged then headed upstairs after Aeris. She led him into a small but cozy looking room with a small one person bed that had fresh linen on it.

"You can stay here tonight then we'll get you back to Sector 7." Aeris said.

"We?" Cloud asked.

"Well yea." Aeris said. "You still have to go through sector 4 to get to Seventh Heaven."

Before Cloud could say anything Aeris was out the door and heading down the stairs. He stood in the middle of the room with his mouth open as if to say something but finally just shrugged and looked over at the bed and suddenly felt very tired.

'I'll just sneak out in the morning.' He thought as he laid down and fell asleep.


End file.
